Throughout his more than four decades in the food industry and 24-year career at AIB International, former Global VP of Operations Jeff Wilson has seen and learned a thing or two. Based in the UK, he's sat on both sides of the proverbial food safety table, working in quality management before joining the AIB International team as a food safety auditor and trainer in 2002.
From there, he was "coached" (in his own words) into several global managerial and executive-level roles, bringing his wealth of food safety knowledge with him.
"I don't know what happened," he jokes, in reference to how he became Global Vice President of Operations in 2021, but maintains, "I know that I enjoyed every single minute of it."
During his time as a food safety professional (FSP) with AIB International, Jeff worked closely with clients to improve their food safety procedures and policies, while training other FSPs on how to do that effectively. And through all the change and upheaval he's witnessed during his career, from technological advancements to a global pandemic, one observation has remained constant: the importance of perspective and empathy with the people behind food safety.
With Jeff's retirement approaching, a conversation before his departure was necessary to gather some final words of wisdom on the food and beverage industry and see what the next generation of food safety professionals can learn from his experience.
Great food safety outcomes come from great partnerships
Jeff joined AIB International first as an auditor, using his expertise to work with clients worldwide to improve their food safety operations and meet certification requirements. Jeff found that, over the years, many clients didn't realize just how far their practices were from where they needed to be until he visited their facilities in person.
Through an approach grounded in AIB International's Consolidated Standards for Inspection, Jeff gave clients an objective roadmap toward Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs). Jeff viewed his role as more of a coach or trainer than someone who delivers a slap on the wrist. He took this approach to reduce what he called the "white coat syndrome" that caused some businesses to fear auditors. "We truly go out to have a partnership with our clients," he said of the relationships he strived for.
Jeff's ultimate goal was to help clients build programs and change behaviors that would last until he returned to the facilities years later, and beyond. "When you come back in one year or two years [after an inspection], they don't run away," he said. "They say, 'Let me show you what we found in our own inspection program.'"
Building those relationships requires more than FSP expertise. "What we're looking for in teams [beyond technical ability] is the individual person that is capable of delivering bad news every day… with empathy," he said. The job doesn't end with identifying problems; it extends to empowering clients to identify and address their own food safety risks.
The only constant is change, so FSPs must adapt
The manufacturing industry is more interconnected than ever, creating greater complexity and opportunities for disruption, including everything from extreme weather events to global crises. For food safety professionals like Jeff, adapting to new challenges while maintaining the same level of stringency in their work is essential.
Jeff was named the Global VP of Operations at AIB International not long after what he called "the biggest hurdle and challenge we overcame as a business": the COVID-19 pandemic.
With travel restrictions threatening AIB International's ability to support clients, Jeff and his team found ways to deliver essential food safety services:
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Helping in-country FSPs better understand their country-specific requirements to reduce the need for extensive travel
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Applying for essential worker status to enable FSPs to travel as necessary
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Developing remote auditing and training capabilities using technologies such as smart glasses or video conferencing
"I was proud of the team," Jeff emphasized. "Everyone was so resilient." The experience reinforced the importance of being prepared to adapt when circumstances change, because they will. "Thankfully, we came out on the other side of it much more aware," he said.
A people-first approach always wins
With industry experience both in front of and behind the clipboard, Jeff had a keen ability as an auditor to see inspections from his clients’ perspectives over the years. "In our industry, nobody wakes up in the morning and says, 'Oh, I hope I'm going to have an unannounced AIB International inspection today’," he said.
With that in mind, Jeff always aimed to meet clients where they were. A gesture as simple as allowing a few minutes before an inspection to reschedule meetings or debrief with their team sometimes meant all the difference between ruining a client’s day and fostering a fruitful learning environment.
Jeff also stressed the importance of delivering bad news delicately. At times, managers were convinced that all their facility needed was “a lick of paint and a bit of a sweep up,” which in many cases couldn’t have been further from the truth. In these situations, Jeff emphasized the importance of soft skills. Having emotional intelligence, communicating clearly, and remaining composed under pressure are all important attributes for FSPs navigating these environments. “The people who don't work that way generally end up in some sort of conflict resolution situation,” he said.
Equally important for Jeff was extending that same empathetic lens to FSPs themselves in his role as Global VP of Operations. Inspectors are sometimes delivering bad news every day, which can take a toll on a person. “It’s a tough job,” Jeff said. “They have to love what they do, and they have to be cared for.” In his experience, when employees feel supported, they tend to stay.
At no time did this feel more crucial to Jeff than during the COVID-19 pandemic, when the questions at the forefront of his mind were, “How do we keep our people?” and “How do we support them?”
He recalls a time when his team pitched in to send diapers to a team member who was a new parent based in China, where diaper manufacturers had pivoted to manufacturing personal protective equipment (PPE) in response to the pandemic, creating a diaper shortage.
Also during the pandemic, AIB International instituted what they called “healthy huddles,” or weekly virtual meetings for each regional food safety team, as a way to connect amid the isolation and check in. These weekly connects remain, to this day, according to Jeff.
Through weekly, monthly, and in-person gatherings, “we have spent an inordinate amount of time, energy, effort, passion, desire with our teams,” Jeff said. “And that's how we calibrate constantly.”
In food safety, all roads lead back to people. Whether they be the customer buying groceries at the store, facility managers overseeing operations, workers on the line executing protocols and procedures, or “white coats” inspecting a facility, leading with empathy is key to securing successful food safety outcomes.
Standards provide a clear and consistent framework
When Jeff reflects on his 24 years at AIB International, he can recall his very first day on the job. His boss told him, "You don't have an opinion; we have a standard. So the words, 'in my opinion,' can never come out of your mouth."
Throughout a career marked by change and complexity, these standards have remained as a constant. They set the foundation for everything else: building client relationships, delivering difficult news with empathy, and adapting as unexpected challenges presented.
As the food safety landscape continues to evolve, those skills matter more than ever. AIB International's Consolidated Standards for Inspection provide the rest, helping FSPs and facilities throughout the supply chain assess risk, improve compliance, and meet whatever comes next.
